Ingredients industry company news

SAM-e sales strong in '08 According to SPINs, a market research and consulting firm for the natural-products industry, Los Angeles-based Jarrow Formulas' SAM-e products ranked No 1 and 2 in sales in the natural channel for 52 weeks ending November 29, 2008. Jarrow was one of the first natural-products companies to sell SAM-e. Found in all living cells, SAM-e is a metabolite of methionine (an essential amino acid). Jarrow Formulas' SAM-e is made naturally by microbiological fermentation and then processed without solvents to preserve 68-80 per cent (S,S) SAM-e, the highest active level available.

Compact for Reb- A collaboration PureCircle, a developer of high-purity Rebaudioside A (Reb-A), an all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener, has signed an exclusive global strategic collaboration with Firmenich, the world's largest privately owned fragrance and flavour company, to accelerate the commercialization of Reb-A. Under the terms of the collaboration, Firmenich and PureCircle will combine to offer natural flavour and sweetening solutions. In December, the FDA issued a no-objection letter with respect to high-purity Reb-A, formally giving high-purity Reb-A GRAS status for use in beverages, foods and tabletop sweeteners.

Self-affirmed GRAS for Rebpure GLG Life Tech has completed the necessary work required to declare self-affirmed GRAS status for its Rebpure product, which contains 97 per cent pure Reb-A stevia extract. The GRAS review included a review of research including toxicological data demonstrating the safety of the product. The molecular structure of Rebpure has been proven to match the molecular structure of rebiana, which in December the FDA granted GRAS approval. GLG worked closely with ChromaDex, a developer of phytochemical and botanical reference standards, to perform a characterization study on GLG's stevia extract.

Supplement aid for Somalia France's Nutriset has produced a food supplement for distribution to children in Somalia to combat malnutrition. An estimated 100,000 children are at risk, according to Unicef. Called Plumpy'Doz, the vitamins include fats, high-quality protein and essential minerals and vitamins; they are being distributed to children aged 6 to 36 months. Created in 1986, Nutriset?focuses exclusively on nutritional issues in developing countries.

ZMC's co-Q10 proven safe Toxicology studies performed by The Institute of Environmental Toxicology of Japan have confirmed that ZMC's coenzyme Q10 is safe at high doses. Tests performed were acute oral toxicity; repeated dose 28 day oral toxicity; bacterial reverse mutation; in vitro chromosome aberration; micronucleus; dermal sensitization; and a four-week immunotoxicity study. Information can be found at www.zmc-usa.com. ZMC operates in North America out of Texas.?Globally, ZMC is a leading supplier of biotin, vitamin E and fermented co-Q10.

D-ribose marketing agreement Bioenergy Life Science has retained Xsto Solutions to market Bioenergy D-Ribose in the Eastern US. D-ribose is a naturally occurring monosaccharide the body uses to stimulate the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Bioenergy, which recently achieved GRAS status for D-ribose, has amassed a large body of scientific literature regarding uses of ribose. The company has more than 40,000 customers for its proprietary Corvalen products, and millions worldwide use Bioenergy ribose in other functional foods such as energy bars (Detour, FastFuel, Marathon) and beverages (SoBe Adrenaline Rush, Vitamin Water, Snapple Antioxidant Water).

Fenchem under expansion China-based ingredients maker Fenchem says it will continue its expansion into cosmetics ingredients, having experienced a 35 per cent increase in annual revenue. The growth comes from its expansion into the cosmetics field this year. The company has also expanded its pet-food ingredients line. Its workforce has increased by about 30 per cent at both its Nanjing headquarters and its US branch, which opened in California last year.

Aflatoxin tests earn certification VICAM, a food-safety diagnostic company, has been awarded USDA-GIPSA certification for two of its rapid diagnostic methods for aflatoxin detection:?AflaCheck and AflaTest Single Filter methods. Aflatoxins are a family of fungal toxins classified as Group I carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.